Sponsors (11)
The bill expands and standardizes federal support for K–12 world-language, dual-language, and heritage-language instruction—improving student access and teacher development—while relying on modest, competitive funding and adding administrative and compliance requirements that may limit reach and flexibility for under-resourced districts.
K–12 (including Pre-K) students nationwide gain expanded access to world-language, dual-language, bilingual, and heritage-language instruction, improving language proficiency and future academic/career opportunities.
Teachers and school systems receive dedicated support for professional development, paraprofessional certification, and teacher pipelines (partnerships with higher ed and licensure offices), strengthening teacher capacity to deliver language programs.
English learners and heritage-language learners are more explicitly recognized and targeted, increasing federal attention that can improve equity and tailored instruction for these growing student populations.
Under-resourced districts and many LEAs may not receive grants because funding is modest and competitive, which risks widening disparities in access to language programs.
The program creates new administrative, application, reporting, and compliance burdens for local schools and state agencies that could divert staff time from instruction and implementation.
Expanding the program requires new federal spending that could raise taxpayer costs or necessitate reallocations from other priorities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive DOE grant program for LEAs to establish or improve K–12 world language and dual‑language programs with defined priorities and reporting.
Creates a competitive Department of Education grant program that funds local school districts to start, expand, or improve K–12 world language and dual‑language programs. The program sets definitions, priority factors (like partnerships with community heritage language schools and teacher pipelines), reporting rules, and requires recipients to reserve funds for paraprofessional certification and teacher professional development. It authorizes $15 million per year beginning in FY2026 for three‑year grants that may be renewed at the Secretary’s discretion.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by Jennifer Kiggans · Last progress February 25, 2025